Conference Report

Recent Studies in the field of Molecular Electronics
and Bioelectronics in Japan.
Kiyoshi Yase

This article will provide a brief review ofthe history and present targets in the field of
molecular electronics and bioelectronics in Japan along with my personal impressions.
In 1981, F. L. Carter of the Naval Research Laboratory, U.S.A., proposed a newconcept for advanced electronics that uses
molecules and their assemblies called “Molecular Electronics Devices (MEDs)”. At thattime, the discussion of post-silicon devices
was a hot topic because LSI-based microprocessors fabricated using the conventionallithographic techniques had already been
predicted to reach to their technical limits inaccord with Moore’s law. The π-conjugated polymers and charge-transfer complexes
were already being considered as future materials for fabricating nanometer-scale wiringand molecular-size transistors and memories.
However, MEDs were still only a dream, since
we had yet to develop the tools necessary tofabricate nano-devices.
In the meantime, some important engineering methodologies for use in molecular
handling were developed. One was the Organic Molecular Beam Epitaxy (OMBE) technique, which enables molecules to adsorb
on a clean single-crystalline surface one by
one in ultra-high vacuum. Another was theLangmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique, in which
one can stack monomolecular films on a solid
substrate from the water surface. Both techniques allowed us to have molecularly ordered ultra thin films on a solid support.
In 1986, G. K. Binnig and H. Rohrer wereawarded the Nobel Prize for the developmentof Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM).
Subsequently, several other scanning probe
microscopes, such as the atomic force microscope and the near-field optical scanningmicroscope, were introduced. Thus, we had
finally obtained the tools needed to manipulate individual atoms and molecules.

In step with the worldwide movement
towards the study of molecular engineering and bioelectronics, Japanese scientists
working in industry, academia, and national
institutes established in 1985 a new scientific organization devoted to the field of “Organic Molecular Engineering” as part of theJapanese Society of Applied Physics (JSAP).
This group was the predecessor of the present division known as Molecular Electronics
and Bioelectronics (M & BE). The constituent members belonged to not only JSAP but
also The Chemical Society of Japan (CSJ),The Society of Polymer Science, Japan (SPSJ), The Institute of Electronics, Informationand Communication Engineers (IEICE), andThe Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan(IEEJ). The annual meetings of JSAP werethe venue for the presentations of approximately 40 to 50 papers in one special sessionof “Organic Electronics” in the field of Applied Physics, and in seven regular sessionsof “Fundamental Properties and MolecularDesign”, “Fabrication and Characterization”,“Functional Materials and Devices”, “LiquidCrystal”, “Biological Applied Physics”, “Medical Engineering”, and “New Fields and NewMaterials”.
In 1991, the small “Organic MolecularEngineering” group was formally recognized
as the M & BE division of JSAP. Subsequently,
publication began of the special journal “Molecular Electronics and Bioelectronics” thatis written in Japanese (see Fig. 1). The periodic journal is distributed to all the membersof the division. At the first annual meeting in
1991, six sessions were organized: 1) Fundamental phenomena and molecular design; 2)Fabrication and characterization; 3) Electricalproperties and devices; 4) Optical propertiesand devices; 5) Liquid crystalline; and 6) Biological application. In those days, second andthird harmonic generations (SHG and THG) in

nonlinear optics (NLO) with organic substances were the main areas of study in this fieldin Japan. The main targets of these studies
were the development of optical devices foruse in fast-photoswitching and wavelength
conversion applications. Organic compounds
were still not passive compartments in theelectronic or optical devices compared withinorganic materials. However, their multiple
optical properties, such as NLO, photochromism, thermochromism, electroluminescence, etc., were quite attractive.
In 1987, C. S. Tang of Eastman Kodak,U.S.A., and T. Tsutsui and S. Saito of Kyushu
University, Japan, independently developed
light emitting diodes composed of organicdyes. Afterwards, organic electroluminescent(EL) devices piqued the interests of industry.
The annual meetings held by JSAP and thespecial symposiums on organic EL devices organized by the M & BE suddenly attracted
large audiences. It did not take much time
for the first EL display to come to market. AJapanese manufacturer introduced in 1989 amonochromatic and small display for use in
car audio systems, while full-color EL displays
would first hit the market in 2002 as mobile

Figure 1.
Periodical published by M & BE Division.

Chief of Division of Molecular Electronics and Bioelectronics, Japan Society of Applied Physics
c/o Photonics Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8565, Japan

JSAP International No.6 (July 2002)31

Conference Reportphone displays.
In 1999, we shuffled the sessions to create six regular sessions: 1) Fabrication, characterization and fundamental properties; 2)
Molecular electronics; 3) Molecular photonics; 4) Liquid crystal; 5) Polymer and softmaterials; and 6) Biology, medical engineering, and biotechnology. Two special sessions
were added to complement the above; (A)Organic EL and (B) Self-assembly.
As shown in Table 1, the themes of thesymposiums organized by M & BE, as partof the annual JSAP meetings, have graduallyshifted from basic and fundamental research
regarding the future of molecular electronics and bioelectronics, to themes highlighting
the study of applications for organic devices.
Next year, we are planning to introduce two
new special sessions, “Molecular and bionanotechnology” and the “Organic electronic devices”, to replace “Organic EL” and“Self-assembly”.

In March 2000, we had the first joint
symposium on molecular electronics with CSJ
entitled “The future aspects and remaining
subjects for molecular electronics in the 21stCentury - Molecular design and synthesis,
and from device to computer”. During that
symposium, nearly 200 participants closely
discussed one topic, the breakthroughs in nanoscale devices, especially the single molecular devices.
Meanwhile, we held the first international conference on molecular electronics andbioelectronics (M & BE1) at Awaji island in
March of 2001. At this conference, we held
five sessions with 259 participants from eight
countries. The titles of the sessions were: 1)
Molecular nanoelectronics; 2) Fabricationand characterizations of organic thin films;
3) Optoelectronic and EL devices; 4) Bioelectronics; and 5) Single molecular electronics.
These meetings presented a good opportunity for researchers to discuss the worldwide

upsurge in interest in the field of molecularelectronics and bioelectronics. Presently, weare planning to hold the second international
conference on molecular electronics and bioelectronics (M & BE2) in the spring of 2003.
Further information will appear on our home
page, http://annex.jsap.or.jp/support/division/MandBE/.
Recently, the Japanese government aswell as industrial concerns have begun toprovide significant assistance to the study ofnanotechnology and biotechnology. These
are two areas that are positioned as promising candidates to represent the future oftechnology and science. We believe that thegroundwork that we have established to create an interdisciplinary field of science andtechnology, an amalgamation of chemistry,
physics, electronics, and bioscience, will help
us to take the lead in the international competition in this new nano-world.

Table 1. The number of presentations and titles of symposium held by M&BE during JSAP annual meetings.

Time (Place)

Presentation(Number ofSessions)

Spring, 1986 (Nihon Univ., Narashino, Chiba)

39(1)0Autumn, 1986 (Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo)

40(1)

11

“Biomimetic and Molecular Device Materials”

Spring, 1987 (Waseda Univ., Tokyo)

45(1)

8

“Molecular Devices”

Autumn, 1987 (Nagoya Univ., Nagoya)

73(7)

11

“What is Molecular Electronics and Bioelectronics?”

Spring, 1988 (Hosei Univ., Tokyo)

111(7)

15“Molecular Recognition - Toward Bioelectronics-”“Recent Aspects of Biological and Medical Measurement”

Autumn, 1988 (Toyama Univ., Toyama)

96(7)

14

“Precise Control of Functional Organic Materials and Their Properties”“Molecular Ultrathin Films”

Spring, 1989 (Chiba Univ., Chiba)

145(7)

16“Recent Progress in Organic Nonlinear Optical Materials and Device Processing”

Autumn, 1989
(Fukuoka Institute of Technology, Fukuoka)

119(7)

10“Layered Structure and Physical Properties of Smectic Liquid Crystal”

Spring, 1990 (Toyo Univ., Asaka, Saitama)

223(7)

17“Organic thin film electronic devices focused into electroluminescence”“New development in characterization techniques of organic thin films”

Autumn, 1990 (Iwate Univ., Morioka)

184(7)

46“Organic Thin Film Device of Electroluminescence”“New Phase in Characterization Techniques of Organic Thin Films”

Apring, 1991 (Tokai Univ., Shonan)

268(7)

19“New Development in Orientation-Controlled Molecular Films”“Ultrathin Film Electronics with Well-Defined Molecular Orientation”“How to measure indirectly Brain Function”

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JSAP International No.6 (July 2002)

Symposium (Title of Symposium)Time (Place)

Presentation(Number ofSessions)Symposium (Title of Symposium)

Autumn, 1991 (Okayama Univ., Okayama)

204(7)

13“Neural Network and its Application”“Interface Controlled Organic Thin Films”

Spring, 1992
(Nihon Univ., Narashino, Chiba)

249 (7)19“Dynamics and Device Performance of Liquid Crystals”“Organic Second Harmonic Nonlinear Optical Devices”

Autumn, 1992 (Kansai Univ., Osaka)

192 (7)

13“Molecular Machine in Biological Organism”“Electronic Device Application of Conductive Polymers”

Spring, 1993 (Aoyama Univ., Tokyo)

262(7)

12“Molecular Electronics”“Phthalocyanine as Optoelectrical Material”

Autumn, 1993 (Hokkaido Univ., Sapporo)

225(8)

12“Fabrication characterization and application of two-dimensional protein assemblies”“Molecular nanotechnology (II)”Spring, 1994 (Meiji Univ., Tokyo)

260(8)

11“Ion conduction in liquid crystal and high purity liquid crystal device”“Biomimetic technology”

Autumn, 1994 (Meijo Univ., Nagoya)213(8)

11“Frontier study in fullerene - Function and application of fullerene thin film -”“Measurement of human body”

Spring, 1995 (Tokai Univ., Shonan)

296(8)

19“Contact point between medical treatment and engineering”“Progress of organic nonlinear optical materials in last decade”

Autumn, 1995
(Kanazawa Institute of Technology, Kanazawa)

224(8)

17“Observation and manipulation of biological supramolecules”“Electrical and optical properties of organic nano-structures”

Spring, 1996 (Toyo Univ., Asaka, Saitama)286(8)

15“Organic electroluminescent device - For practical use -”“Recent progress in liquid crystal display - Performance improvement by new mode”

Autumn, 1996
(Kyushu Sangyo Univ., Fukuoka)

240(9)

12“New progress in self-assembled monolayer - LB, MBE and SAM -”“Magnetic effect and control of organic molecules and biological materials”

Spring, 1997
(Nihon Univ., Funabashi, Chiba)308(9)

13“Ultrahigh density molecular memory”“Motion in living things - From bacterium to human being -”Autumn, 1997 (Akita Univ., Akita)

243(9)

14“Self-aggregation and application of proteins”“Physical properties and application of organic fine particles”

Spring, 1998
(Tokyo Univ. of Technology, Tokyo)

293(9)

12“Polysilane”

Autumn, 1998
(Hiroshima Univ., Hiroshima)

251(8)

14“Application and future development of near-field optical microscope in organic and biologicalfields”“Micro-organism living in extreme environment - Potential of micro-organism -”Spring, 1999
(Tokyo Univ. of Science, Noda, Chiba)292(8)

13“Functions of biological molecules in water”“Organic non-crystalline solids”

Autumn, 1999 (Konan Univ., Kobe)

227(9)

12“New front of imaging technique in medical engineering”“Recent aspect of organic photonics - Control and application of radiation field -”Spring, 2000 (Aoyama Univ., Tokyo)

282(8)

12“Nanotechnology and DNA”
“Nano-interface-controlled molecular electronics”

Autumn, 2000
(Hokkaido Institute of Technology, Sapporo)

250(8)

7“Development and application of carbon nanotubes”

Spring, 2001 (Meiji Univ., Tokyo)

307(8+1)

9“Molecular synchronization - Molecular synchronized materials and their device and system application -”Autumn, 2001
(Aichi Institute of Technology, Nagoya)

265(8)

12“Frontier of surface plasmon bio-sensor”“Nanotechnology approached from biology - Potential of artificial supramolecules -”Spring, 2002 (Tokai Univ., Shonan)

403(9)

31“Towards the organic semiconductor devices”“Recent technology and its application of scanning probe microscopy for nanotechnology”“Organizing and functioning of interface”

JSAP International No.6 (July 2002)

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